header-logo header-logo

05 August 2011 / Dr Jon Robins
Issue: 7476 / Categories: Opinion , Legal aid focus , Costs
printer mail-detail

Rolling back justice (2)

Jon Robins investigates the latest challenges to hit clinical negligence lawyers

Clinical negligence lawyers and their clients find themselves squeezed by an uncomfortable pincer movement: on the one side they fear the full brunt of savage legal aid cuts and, closing in from the other side, there are the Jackson proposals. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill published in June threatens to both scrap legal aid for the victims of medical accidents and radically change the “no win, no fee” model by scrapping the recoverability of success fees and the after-the-event insurance.

Public Bill Committee

There was an interesting exchange in last week’s Public Bill Committee. Claire Fazan, a partner at the claimant firm Leigh Day & Co, cited the example of profoundly brain-injured children. People might assume that it’s easy for a specialist like Fazan to spot the minute that somebody walks into their office whether there is a valid claim. “I wish that was the

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley strengthens family law team

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Construction lawyer returns to Ward Hadaway in Teesside role

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird Bird hires leading legal transformation expert

NEWS
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

How forcefully can a litigant criticise a public authority before robust advocacy crosses the line into unreasonable conduct? 
back-to-top-scroll